This guide explains how to automate the processing of multiple PST files located in a single folder using a PowerShell script with Aid4Mail. Since Aid4Mail processes one PST file per session, this script runs the command for each file individually.

Prerequisites

1. Aid4Mail Installed: Ensure Aid4Mail is installed and the executable (a4m-64.exe or a4m-32.exe) is accessible.
2. PowerShell Access: You need permission to execute PowerShell scripts on your system.
3. PST Files Organized: Place all PST files in the same folder for processing.

Step 1: Download or Create the PowerShell Script

Copy the following PowerShell script and save it to a file named: ProcessPSTFiles.ps1

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# Define paths
$sourceFolder = “C:\PST Files”
$targetFolder = “C:\Output\MSG files”
$aid4mailPath = “C:\Program Files (x86)\Aid4Mail5\a4m-64.exe”

# Loop through all PST files in the source folder
Get-ChildItem -Path $sourceFolder -Filter “*.pst” | ForEach-Object {
$pstFile = $_.FullName # Full path of the current PST file
$fileName = $_.BaseName # File name without extension

# Prepare the output folder for this PST file
$outputFolder = Join-Path -Path $targetFolder -ChildPath $fileName
if (!(Test-Path -Path $outputFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $outputFolder
}

# Run Aid4Mail for the current PST file
$command = “$aid4mailPath -CLI -Source.Format:MapiPST -Source.FileStore:`”$pstFile`” -Target.Format:MapiMSG -Target.RootLocation:`”$outputFolder`””
Write-Output “Processing $pstFile…”
Start-Process -FilePath $aid4mailPath -ArgumentList $command -Wait

# Log completion
Write-Output “$pstFile has been processed and saved to $outputFolder”
}

Write-Output “All PST files have been processed.”

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Step 2: Configure the Script

1. Replace the placeholders in the script with the correct paths:
   • $sourceFolder: Path to the folder containing your PST files.
   • $targetFolder: Path where the output MSG files should be saved.
   • $aid4mailPath: Full path to the a4m-64.exe or a4m-32.exe executable.
2. Save the script.

Step 3: Enable PowerShell Script Execution

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator.
2. Run the following command to allow scripts to execute:

powershell: Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

3. Type “Y” to confirm

Step 4: Run the Script

1. Navigate to the folder where you saved the script:

powershell: cd “C:\Path\To\ScriptFolder”

1. Execute the script:

powershell: .\ProcessPSTFiles.ps1

Step 5: Verify Output

• The script will process each PST file in the source folder and save the MSG files in a subfolder under the target folder.
• Each subfolder is named after the corresponding PST file (without the .pst extension).

Troubleshooting

1. Script Doesn’t Run:
   • Ensure the paths to a4m-64.exe/a4m-32.exe and folders are correct.
   • Verify the PowerShell execution policy is set to RemoteSigned
2. Aid4Mail Errors:
   • Review the PowerShell console output for error messages from Aid4Mail.
   • Ensure the PST files are not corrupt.
3. Debugging:
   • Add “Write-Output” lines in the script to print variables and commands for debugging.

Example Scenario

• Source Folder: “C:\PST Files” contains: File1.pst and File2.pst.
• Target Folder: “C:\Output\MSG files” will have:
  • C:\Output\MSG files\File1\ containing the MSG files for File1.pst.
  • C:\Output\MSG files\File2\ containing the MSG files for File2.pst.

Conclusion

This PowerShell script provides a simple and automated way to process multiple PST files using Aid4Mail. By following the steps above, you can efficiently convert all PST files in a folder to MSG format without manually running Aid4Mail for each file.